Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Author(s): H. V. Canter
Source: Studies in Philology, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul., 1928), pp. 385-399
Published by: University of North Carolina Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4172009 .
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PERSONAL APPEARANCE IN THE BIOGRAPHY OF
THE ROMAN EMPERORS1
By H. V. CANTER
8 Suet., Aug., 79-81; Auct., Epit. de Caes., 1, 20; Dio Cass., 48, 34; Tac.,
Ann., 1, 42; Plin., N. H., 7, 59; 11, 54; Verg., Aen., 8, 680; Julian,
Caesars, 309.
4 Suet., Tib., 68; Veil., 2, 94; 2, 97; Tac., Ann., 4, 57; Plin., N. H., 11,
54; Dio Cass., 57, 2; 58, 19; Julian, Caesars, 309 C.
Suet., Calig., 24; 50; 52; Sen., De Const. Sap., 18, 1; De Ira, 3, 19;
Plin., N. H., 11, 54.
388 Personal Appearance of the Roman Emperors
64, 3.
Suet., Otho, 12; Tac., Hist., 1, 30; Ann., 13, 12; Mart., 6, 32; Juv., 2,
99; Auson., De XII Caes. Monost., 8.
H. V. Canter 389
10 Suet., Vitell., 13; 17; Tac., Hist., 2, 62; 2, 95; Plut., Otho, 9; Dio
Cass., 65, 2; 65, 20.
11 Suet., Vesp., 1-2; 20; Dio Cass., 66, 17.
12Suet., Titus, 1; 3; Tac., Hist., 2, 1; Auct., Epit. de Caes., 10, 2;
Eutrop., 7, 21; Dio Cass., 66, 15; Philostr., Life of Apoll., 6, 30, 125
(Kayser).
18Suet., Domit., 18-19; Tac., Hist., 4, 40; Agr., 45; Plin., Paneg., 48,
4; 53, 4; Juv., 4, 38; Auson., De XII Caes. Monost., 11-12; Philostr.,
Life of Apoll., 7, 28, 144.
390 Personal Appearance of the Roman Emperors
4; 22; 81.
l Spart., Vita, 2, 1; 2, 6; 10, 4; 14, 10-11; 17, 9; 20, 13; 23, 1; 26, 1-3;
Dio Cass. 68, 15; 69, 7; 69, ,9-10; 69, 23; Auct.q Epit. de Caes., 14, 11;
Julian, Caesars, 311 D.
17
Capitol., Vita, 2, 1; 13, 1-2; Auct., Epit. de Caes., 15, 4-5.
18
Capitol., Vita, 2, 1; 4, 9-10; Dio Cass., 71, 1; 72, 6; 72, 24; 72, 34-35;
Auct., Epit. de Caes., 16, 7; Julian, Caesars, 317 C; Fronto., p. 68 (Naber).
H. V. Canter 391
suffered from cold, hence wore woolen or linen bands about his
legs. Dressed plainly-removed all jewels from clothing and foot-
wear, dressed in plain white robes without gold ornaments, and
reintroduced rough cloaks and tunics without purple stripes.25
MAXIMINUS. Of Thracian peasant parentage; in youth a herds-
man, and leader of a band to waylay marauders; his strikingly huge
stature and feats of strength won him a place in Septimius Seve-
rus' army; body preeminent in height, size, and proportions-extra-
ordinary accounts given of his feats of strength, eating, drinking,
etc.; eyes of great size; uncouth in manners, haughty and cruel in
behavior.26
GORDIANUSIII. Thirteen or fourteen years of age when made
emperor; handsome and winsome in appearance; agreeable in man-
ners, a favorite of soldiers and senate, and in nothing save age
unqualified to be emperor.27
PHILIPPUS. Native of Bostra in Arabia, of low birth, arrogant,
and insolent; said to have been the son of a robber chieftain.
No further direct description of personal appearance at hand.28
GATm,TTFNUS. For the most part a reveler given to effeminate
habits and sensual pleasures. Vain in dress-powdered his hair,
appeared in public with a halo upon his head, and wore clothes
adorned with precious stones.29
CLAUDIUSII. Of obscure Illyrian family, but a man of ability
and character; frugal, modest, capable of toil, fit intellectually
and physically to be emperor; tall of stature; lustrous eyes and
broad, full face; fingers so strong that he could knock out a horse's
teeth with his fist.30
25Lampr., Vita, 4, 1-4; 14, 6; 27, 10; 30, 4; 33, 4; 40, 7-11; Herod.,
6, 1, 6.
26Capitol., Maximini Duo, 2-4, 3; 6, 5-9; 28, 8; Herod., 6, 8, 1; 7, 1,
12; Zosimus, 1, 13, 3.
,27
Capitol., Gord. Tres., 22, 2; 31, 4-6; Max. et Balb., 3, 4; Herod., 8, 8, 8.
28 Capitol., Gord. Tres., 29, 1; 30; Zosimus, 1, 18, 3-19, 1; Zonar., 12,
Gall. Duo, 7, 1; 14, 1; Flay. Vop., Airel., 44, 5; Lainpr., Elegab., 35, 2;
Lact., De Mort., 8, 7.
86 Aurel. Vict., Liber de Ccaes., 39, 24-28; Auct. Bpit. de aaes., 40, 15-17;
40Amm. Marc., 21, 1, 4; 22, 14, 3; 25, 4, 22; Auct., Epit. de Caes.,
43, 6; Eutrop., 10, 15; Julian Misop., 338B-339B; 365D; Mamertinus,
Paneg. Jul., 6; Greg. Nazianz., Orat. contra Jul., 2, 23 (Migne, Patrologia
lGraeca, XXXV).
41Amm. Marc., 25, 5, 6; 25, 10, 14; Auct., Epit. de Caes., 44, 1; Eutrop.,
18, 1; Zosimus, 3, 30, 1-2; Zonar., 14, 13.
4aAmm. Marc., 30, 9, 6; Auct., Epit. de Caes., 45, 5.
43Amm. Marc., 31, 14, 7.
44 Amm. Marc., 27, 6, 15; 31, 10, 19; Auct., Epit. de Caes., 47, 4; Auson.,
Grat. Act., 63-65; Themist., Orat., 13, 164C; 170C; 171A; 172D; Rufin.,
Hist. Eccl., 11, 13.
H. V. Canter 397
as young, while humble origin and rural occupation are given in ten
instances apparently as evidence of strong physical endowment.
Ill health, ailments, and afflictions of various kinds are cited as
affecting the physical appearance of twenty-seven emperors; so dis-
sipation and intemperance in the case of five, and corpulence in
five.
Two emperors wore the hair long, six were bald, two had thin,
two soft, and four curly hair. The color is noted once as white,
twice as gray, and thrice as blond. In four cases as a regular habit
the face was kept smoothly shaven, in seven a beard was worn.
In complexion three emperors are said to have been fair, two
dark, one between swarthy and fair, four ruddy, and three pale.
As to eyes, four times they are bright and vivacious, five large,
twice drooping, once sunken, once dark, twice gray, thrice blue.
Other features occasionally described are: the eyebrows, once as
grown together, once as overhanging, and once simply as becoming;
the nose, once as straight, twice as aquiline; the mouth, once as full;
the teeth, once as widely set, small and rough. The neck is char-
acterized several times, once as thin, and five times as full and thick.
The University of Illnois.